On-site screening and testing for drugs of abuse and other substances requires small, highly automated, hand-held devices which can be used in the field or within a workplace. Such test devices are typically used in law enforcement situations, for example, where testing for drugs of abuse can be administered roadside. They are also used in workplace screening and testing, to mention just a few. Such circumstances require that such devices be rugged, easy to use, battery powered with sufficient battery life, and capable of printing test results to a remote printer preferably using wireless transmission. It is also important that a person conducting such a test be able to enter information about himself (herself) and about the individual undergoing testing. This information may include date and time, driver's license number, social security, green card or other data. Ideally, this information also provides a record of the actual test for further proof and validation. The data and test information should be electronically stored to facilitate later transfer to a PC or other computer for formal record keeping. The device must be capable of reading and recording test collectors, thereby removing the subjectivity of the user while also providing information and documentation to substantiate the results. This substantiation should come in the form of electronic data which eliminates transposition errors and provides visual and electronic records of the specific test as well as a printed test result.
In response to the industry's needs, although manufacturers have developed drug screening systems, none have successfully addressed the above requirements for a portable, field usable device which clearly and concisely links the specific test to the individual conducting the test and the person being tested. This linking and substantiation is essential for a legal document and for use in the criminal justice system where chain of custody verification is critical.
Thus, there is a need for a rugged, hand-portable system that provides the ability to quickly, safely and sanitarily obtain a body fluid sample, especially saliva, test the sample for the indications of target substances with immediate results, retain original sample fluids for later verification testing and for more extensive test regimes, detect and record the test-specific data electronically along with patient and collector identifying data, and transmit the data to a location remote from the test site over a communications network.